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Reviewed by Steve Rogers
Film:	A
Video Quality:	B
Audio Quality:	B
Special Features:	A-
DVD Review:	B+

When it comes to Michael Moore, I'm not gonna beat around the Bush: I'm an unabashed admirer of the man's work. Before he became a lightening rod for political adherents of all persuasions, Moore was first and foremost a brilliant documentary filmmaker and the genre's most prominent cultural and, yes, political satirist. His work in film and television single-handedly reinvigorated the documentary as popular art and political tool. But Moore's genius lies most particularly in the humor which runs throughout his work. He is unsparingly funny. And he has the capacity to infuse that humor into films that tackle such deadly serious subjects as gun control, homelessness and the tragedy of September 11th in a way that allows viewers to appreciate the gravity of what is going on while chuckling at the absurdity of it all. It's the old cliche: you will laugh and cry at the same time.

Moore's latest film takes on the catastrophic mess that is the U.S. healthcare system. The opening frame (or salvo) features another clueless malapropism from President Bush who bellows in a faux Texas accent about gynecologists not being allowed to practice their love with their patients, or some such nonsense. If you didn't already know it, the American system of healthcare is in crisis and Moore couldn't have scripted a better opening acknowledgment of that fact.

But Sicko is no polemic diatribe or political manifesto. Moore focuses primarily on the plight of Americans who actually have health insurance and how they've been undercut by unscrupulous insurance companies in their efforts to seek out quality care for themselves or loved ones. Some of the stories are so pathetic and shameful they will leave you gaping with shock and anger. Moore largely takes a back seat in this film and lets the shocking facts speak for him. He does appear in later sections of the film that highlight healthcare systems in countries like Canada, England and France, and levies plenty of ammunition against the propaganda Americans have been force fed about "socialized medicine". Sicko makes a pointed case for eliminating the role of insurance companies in the healthcare system and establishing a single payer system. It's hard to argue when you realize, as Sicko points out, that your insurance company may actually be paying somebody a bonus to find out how your past medical history can be used to deny you treatment.

The film ends with a classic Moore stunt as the portly director leads a small flotilla of seriously ill 9/11 responders into Cuba's Guantanamo Bay in search of treatment at the detainee hospital where suspected terrorists apparently receive the best medical care your tax dollars can buy. It's hysterically funny to watch Moore bellowing up at the guard tower with a bullhorn shouting "Permission to enter! These 9/11 workers want nothing more than the treatment available to al-Qaeda." But it's deadly serious and a matter of life and death for these emergency workers.

Does Sicko stack the deck in its favor with tragic stories of personal loss and a heavy-handed classical soundtrack? Yes. Does it skirt the drawbacks of the European and Canadian healthcare systems highlighted here? Probably. But I don't see many Canadian or European films being produced about their health care crisis that look to the U.S. system as a model of efficiency. Bottom line: Our system desperately needs major reform and Sicko never lets us forget that throughout its dissection of America's terminally ill healthcare system.

Video Quality

Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image quality for Sicko remained superb throughout and achieved a level of clarity unusual for documentary features. Colors were bright and vividly displayed. The occasional use of different film stock from newsreel footage and other sources was skillfully blended in and was unmarred by any visible video artifacts or distortions.

Audio Quality

The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track was surprisingly effective and noticeable throughout the film. Separation effects were spread across the front channels and even the rear speakers engaged occasionally. The music soundtrack sounded fine, making use of all channels.

Special Features

As with all Moore films on disc, this special edition DVD comes packed with bonus features. Most are additional vignettes that didn't make it into the movie, but are nonetheless just as entertaining and dramatically potent.

Of particular interest was "This Country Beats France", Moore's retort to the political pundits who have dumped on him. It's actually a portrait of Norway's prison system that you won't believe. "A Different Kind of Hollywood Premiere" showcases the film's actual premiere which took place on Skid Row in Los Angeles where homeless people were treated to a screening on a giant projection system set up in the middle of the street.

There are also interview galleries that feature additional interview with physicians and academics including a fascinating interview Moore conducted with Che Guevara's daughter, a physician herself, in Cuba. A music video for the film's theme "Alone Without You" by The Nightwatchman (Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello) is a treat, and the final feature, the film's trailer, left me laughing.

Summary

Michael Moore's Sicko continues the director's tradition of socially conscious films presented with a healthy dose of satire and devilishly comic undertones. The film underscores the need for healthcare reform in America in explicit terms that will leave no viewer unmoved. Moore is not shy about wearing his conscience on his sleeve and never more so than in Sicko. With a wealth of special feature material and top-notch production values this special edition DVD confirms Moore once again as one of the most important modern American filmmakers and political satirists of our age.